PREVIEW: Kings (10-7-2) vs. Nashville (9-8-5)

Put on a pot of coffee, here come the offensively challenged Nashville Predators. Of course, the Predators have beaten the Kings twice already this season, so there's no sense making fun of them for their methodical play and their low-scoring games.

Nashville went into Monday's game against the Kings with a league-low 46 goals in 22 games. The Kings weren't exactly lighting up scoreboards around the NHL either, scoring 49 goals in 19 games and looking to escape last place in the Pacific Division.

Colin Wilson leads the Predators with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists), and Martin Erat has 11 points (three goals, eight assists). No one else on the Nashville roster has more than 10 points, which helps to explain their scoring troubles.

The Kings have four players with 10 or more points, led by Anze Kopitar with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists). Jeff Carter, whose goal-scoring streak ended at five games in the Kings' loss Saturday to the Vancouver Canucks, has 13 points (a team-leading 11 goals, two assists).

The Kings began a five-game homestand Monday, the start of a stretch in which they play 10 of their next 12 games at Staples Center. The Kings began the lockout-shortened, 48-game schedule by playing 11 of their first 15 games on the road.